Sealed dowel bar and shielded bearing



ma WE@ BY 4 Wam/Q7 @wigg- J. N. HELTZEL SEALED DOWEL BAR AND SHIELDED BEARING Filed July 3, 1946 atente Nov.

UNTED PATENT FI'C 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hermetically sealed dowel bars for use in connecting the slabs of concrete roads and has for an object to provide an improved dowel bar or load transfer element in which protection against the elements is provided with the end in view of the longer life of dowel bars.

Heretofore steel bearing plates have been exposed on the adjacent end faces of the slab to attacks by air and water, and such plates were therefore subject to rust and corrosion particularly where acids seeped into the joint and contacted the steel bearing plates.

It is another object of the invention to provide non-corrosive shields to cover the bearing plates in their submerged positions in the concrete whereby the structure is completely isolated from the elements.

It is a further object of the invention to extend these shields so as to cover not only the bearing plates but also those portions of the dowel bars which are apt to encounter contact with acids or the elements.

Concrete roads as presently constructed are ordinarily laid in monoliths with compressible expansion joint material embedded in the same at preselected intervals which form planes of weakness in the structure resulting, when cured, in the cracking of the concrete below the joint material to create individual slabs capable of individually contracting and expanding under heat and cold conditions.

It is well known in the art that unless the sections are secured in position by dowels or other means to prevent the sections from moving vertically out of alignment the surface of the roadway will become irregular causing the slabs to deteriorate on the passage of traffic. It appears that no dowel bar has yet been produced which would function properly for more than ve years. However, inasmuch as the concrete used in modern roads and airports is being scientifically proportioned and mixed and consists of materials of the very highest quality, it is reasonable to expect that modern concrete structures of this kind should be serviceable for an indefinite period of time. However, in view of the limitations which authorities have placed on dowel bars, it is indicated that the life of the highway or airport is based on the efficiency and life of the dowel bar. Assuming that the present form of dowel bar can not exceed a life greater than ve years, under present circumstances it involves a tremendous waste of money and effort to build road and airport structures of this kind.

It is therefore an important object of the invention not so much to change or improve the dowel bar per se which has crystallized into a definite steel structure of a generally approved form having the requisite strength but to so construct and arrange the accessories to the dowel bar installation that such dowel bars will not be exposed to the elements and in this way to promote the longer life of the dowel bar and its continuance indefinitely as a properly functioning road transfer element.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an improved hermetically sealed dowel bar als-constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section, taken on an enlarged scale, of the dowel bar, its bearing members and the improved shield construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings I0 and II designate adjacent concrete slabs of a roadway or airport and II represents the joint material between the faces of adjacent slabs. The dowel bar is indicated at I3 having the split end 4 and according to the invention having its other end I5 arranged as a piston.

A first tubular bearing I6, preferably externally corrugated, is embedded in one of the slabs l0 with its bearing plate I1 preferably flush in the face of such slab I0 adjacent the joint I2. A non-corrosive first sleeve shield I8 surrounds the piston end of the dowel bar I5, spans the device between the slabs I0 and II and has its remote end I9 open. At its proximate end is a disc 20 extending over the face of the first bearing plate I1 which is exposed at the joint face of the slab The marginal edge of the disc 2o is flanged I0. over the peripheral edge of the rst bearing plate I1 as indicated at 2 I.

A second non-corrosive sleeve shield 22 is relatively slidable over the rst sleeve shield I8 and has a closed remote end 23 spaced from the piston end I5 of the dowel bar I3 to constitute a lubricant chamber 24 and the units of a hydraulic ram. A disc 25 at the proximate end of the second shield 22 extends over the exposed face of the second bearing plate 21 upon a second externally corrugated tubular bearing 28 which receives therethrough the second sleeve shield 22. A ilange 2G on the disc 25 surrounds and protects the peripheral edge of the second bearing plate 21.

Base rods 29 are mounted in each of the slabs below the tubular bearings I6 and 28. Aiixed to these tubular bearings I8 and 28 are upper and lower anchorage members 3U and 32. The upper anchorage members 38 may have outwardly and downwardly turned hooks 3! to take better purchase in the concrete slab. As shown in Figure 2 these upper members 38 preferably diverge upwardly. As shown in Figure 3 the members preferably incline diagonally to the plane of the joint strip I2.

The lower anchorage members 32 may have loops 33 at their lower ends slidably engaging about the longitudinal base rods 29. These lower anchorage members 32 are lexible so as to be b ent closer together or to be moved farther apart whereby to elevate or lower the tubular bearings I8, 28 which the;7 supprt. Where the anchorage members are made from ilexible wire of suitable rigidity they may be wound about certain of the corrugations of the tubular bearings I6 and 28 and welded or otherwise affixed thereto.

' The dowel bar I3 is anchored xedly in the slab I by the split end I li embedded in the concrete. The bearing sleeve I6 which is received over the intermediate portion of the dowel bar I 3 is also so embedded in the concrete that it is immovable relatively to theslab I 0. Consequently the dowel bar I3 and the bearing sleeve IS do not have relative movement. Moreover the bore of the bearing sleeve I8 is such relatively to the external diameter of the dowel bar I3 that the dowel bar has to be d liven into and through the bearing sleeve i5; and consequently the same have a tight t preventing 'relative movement. rihe` sleeve shield I 8 is held xedly to the bearing sleeve I6 by reason of the fact that the ange 2| engages over the bearing plate I'I. Consequently the sleeve shield I8 is held immovable with respect to both the sleeve bearing I6 and the dowel bar I3.

The second sleeve shield 2.8 is embedded fixedly in the opposing slab II and its sleeve shield 22 is immovable relatively to the bearing sleeve 28 by being flanged over at 26 upon the bearing plate 2'I. r*'lherefore. on relative expansion or contracte ing movement of the adjacent slabs I0 and I I, the shield 22 will always move with the bearing sleeve 28 and slab II while the complementary sleeve shield I8 moves with the dowel bar I 5, bearing sleeve I8 and the opposed slab I il). Thereflore it will be understood thatA the vrelative reciprocating movement takes place between the sleeve shields I8 and 22 and the same have a loose t to permit of the liquid being pumped out into the joint space between the joint strip I2 and the twol lined faces of the bearing plates I'I and 2l.

In the use of the device any seepage of water down through the joint i 2 into the device between the 4slabs I8 and II which would ordinarily directly contact the steel dowel rod i3 is now met by the non-corrosive tubular shield I8, being di verted thereto by the curved upper walls ofthe flanges 20 and 2| which prevents any such seepage from Welling over onto the external surfaces ofthe tubular bearings I6 and 2S. The liquid seepage between joint I 2 and disc 2Q cannot move to the left as seen in Figures 1 and 4 because of the integrality of the sleeve shield I8 with such disc 20. Therefore such seepage tends to move to the right between the joint material I2 and the first tubular non-corrosive shield I8. It therefore meets any seepage descending between the joint I2 and the second disc 25. Both seepage currents have only one outlet and that is between the two non-corrosive tubular shields I8 and 22. However. this space is lled with the lubricant from the chamber 24 by reason of the hydraulic ram effect and action produced by the relative reciprocating movements of the two shield members I8 and 22 upon one another incident to the relative contraction and expansion of the concrete slabs I8 and I I inasmuch as these two noncorrosive sleeve members I8 and 22 are affixed to move with the tubular bearings I5 and 28 which are respectively embedded in the slabs I0 and I I and by reason of their corrugated external cylindrical surfaces areI xed against relative movement in such slabs.v ylfherefore the piston I 5 and the closed proximate end 2 3 of the second tubular shieldgg move together and apart in aci @Omphmerlt t0 the similar movements of the slabs IQ and I I. Thus a lrn of lubricant is maine tained in the space between the two non-.corrosive For clearness this Space is magnified all emphasized in Figure 4 which is an @marges view.

The soclget or bearing member i6, is of metall for instance pressed malleable steel, a casting or a foraine. the. external corrugatons providing anchorage in the'concrete.l The dowel bar I '3 may consist of a conxfentional'roughly nished steel bar which is Spia at la' also tov provide chorage of the dowel bar in one slab, I'Ilfof the concrete row. The dowel bar I4 is forced through the socket I6 and is maintained in a fixed posi: tion with respect to the soclget. The dowel, bar I3 is thus held at its split end immovably in one slab I8 of theY concrete, while its other end I5 prof jects into they other slaby I I., such slab II being movable with respect to the dowel bar I3.. The soclet` or tubular bearing 28z is similar to, the socket I6, except that the bore of the former is slightly larger` than the latter so as to permit the free sliding of the, tubular shield 22 upon the rst or inner tubular shield I t, the remote end I9 of which is left open to permit the piston I5 tov have access to the hydraulic chamber I24;. Thus is will be seen that the, free or piston end I5 of the steel dowel bar I3. is hermetically. encased within the two relatively movable'non'- corrosiveshields I8 and 22.

The shields I8 and 2,2 are preferably constructed of lightwall tubing, preferably embody? ing an alloy which is corrosion resisting. i For instance Monel metal or stainless steel may be. used. l l y 4 The seepage will not mix with thel lubricantx and the, presence of the lubricant between the.y shields will tend to exclude water. It will alsol lubricate the movable bearing surfaces between the two shields. 4 v

In order toI providea stabilized structure. dur-,- ing the installation of the, dowel bars and"whuen pouring the concrete, and tov provide addi-tional stress-.relieving anchorages ci the structure within the slabs, the anchorage members 3Q and 32 are provided, the former projecting up. into, the,

50p` portions of' the Slabs while. the lower. menig bes, 3.2 privee@ @upwardlyinte the. lever itions. of such slabs., It. will be. particu l'rlyl nted tlfiatv these, anchorage elements 3"!!V and ^3,2 are very,

tubular shields* I8 and 22A.

. Close t@ the wiesen# Giet 'fases ef; the-slabs.

So placed they will immediately take up tension when traffic loads are applied.

A plurality of dowel bars I3 may be spaced apart by looping or otherwise securing the lower anchorage members 32 to the longitudinal bars 29 as indicated at 33.

The lower supports 32 are positioned on the subgrade as indicated in Figure 2. Such subgrade is irregular as to elevation. By moving the two lower members 32 together the dowel bar support may be raised to a higher elevation; on the other hand should the dowel bar need to be lowered, the supports 32 would be spread further apart. Such movement of the legs 32 is very readily accomplished in the iield because these elements 32 are preferably made of a material of approximately 1/4 inch in diameter.

During the Winter seasons the slabs I and II are contracted. This shortening of the slabs causes an opening on each side of the joint member l2 permitting surface Water and foreign matter to inltrate as previously described; however, no deterioration of the load transfer element results because of the shielding members I8 and 22.

It is obvious that various changes and modiiications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specically described embodiment of this invention Without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modcations being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a load transfer device, a dowel bar adapted to bridge the joint space between two concrete slabs, a tubular bearing affixed to one end portion of said dowel bar and having a bearing plate adapted to align with the edge face of one of the slabs, a sleeve shield of non-corrosive material having a disc at one end anged over said bearing plate and embracing the free portion of said dowel bar, a socket of increased bore loosely receiving the free end portion of said dowel bar and non-corrosive shield assembly, said socket comprising an opposed tubular bearing and non-corrosive sleeve, said bearing having a bearing plate adapted to align with the edge face of the other slab and said last mentioned noncorrosive sleeve having a disc iianged over said last mentioned plate and extending through the bore of said last mentioned bearing and having a closed end spaced from the free end of the dowel bar to form a liquid containing chamber, whereby liquid will be forced between the noncorrosive sleeves upon movement of the free end of the dowel bar in said chamber.

2. In a load transfer device, a dowel bar adapted to bridge the joint space between two concrete slabs, a bearing plate adapted to align with the free edge face of one of the slabs, a sleeve shield having a disc at one end flanged over said bearing plate and embracing the free portion of said dowel bar, a socket of increased bore loosely receiving the free end portion of said dowel bar and shield, said socket comprising a bearing plate adapted to align with the free edge face of the other slab and a second sleeve having a disc flanged over said last mentioned bearing plate, said second sleeve having a closed end spaced from the free end of the dowel bar to form a liquid containing chamber, whereby liquid will be forced between the sleeves upon movement of the free end of the dowel bar in said chamber.

3. A load transfer device as claimed in claim 2 characterized by the fact that said 'irstl sleeve shield has a substantially smooth internal wall tightly embracing the external surface of the dowel bar from end to end of said first sleeve shield, the space between the sleeves being open to the joint space whereby the body of liquid in the space between the sleeves opposes the entrance of surface liquid to the chamber and dowel bar.

4. A load transfer device according to claim 3 in which the free end of the rst sleeve shield extends beyond the free end of the dowel bar, the free end of the first sleeve being open t0 expose the free end of the dowel bar to the liquid in the chamber.

JOHN N. HELTZEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name' Date 2,110,738 Parker Mar. 8, 1938 2,256,930 Willard Sept. 23, 1941 2,269,703 Bagwill Jan. 13, 1942 2,291,109 Sensibar July 28, 1942 2,319,713 Williams May 18, 1943 2,419,022 Heltzel Aug. 15, 1947 

